• February 13, 2025

Klopp – Our hunger can match Madrid’s experience

Jurgen Klopp

A few days countdown to the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League final night in Kiev and the tough-talking has begun as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that the hunger and desire of his side can annul Real Madrid’s experience when both sides meet in the UCL final.

Real Madrid are the firm favorites in this one as they look for a third consecutive UCL triumph and fourth UCL title win in five years. An already unprecedented feat, regardless, Los Blancos are looking to go one better.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have won the competition five times, with their last final appearance coming 11 years ago.

Klopp said: “They are more experienced. It is a fact. If there was an ‘experience’ market they should sell it, because then they would be even more rich than they are already.

“Experience is very important in life but not the only important thing. There are other things, especially in football. I know that.

READ: UCL Final – Liverpool deploy top secrecy in Marbella training sessions

“It is an advantage to be more experienced but you can level it with desire, readiness, attitude, workrate, and that is good, that is what I love in football.”

Klopp noted that his side’s run in the competition thus far, eliminating the likes of Manchester City and Roma could provide the required morale booster for his men as they take on Europe’s elite heavyweight this weekend.

“We have our own experience,” the German said. “We don’t have the experience of winning the last two finals but we have made our own experience and that is good as well.

“We are not as long together as Real Madrid – they not only won the last two finals but they played those finals with pretty much the same team. That is very special. So as a group they are very strong.

“But we have a chance and let’s give it a try. Let’s go there and try to perform on a level which maybe people would say it is not possible for us. But it is possible.

“It was a very exciting journey so far and now we want to bring it to the best possible end.”

Klopp aired his views at Anfield after his side commenced their week of preparation ahead of the game with an open training session.

He said: “I am really looking forward to the game. I want to play it.

“It is completely different to the Brighton game, I didn’t want to play it. I thought if we could I would buy a 1-0 win and go home if they didn’t show up. But this game I really want to play. It will be exciting.”